TNAG-0510-FCO40-575-Registration-of-merchant-shipping-in-Hong-Kong-1974 — Page 67

DENTIAL

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H.E. the Governor said he was sure that Worldwide's

failure to put forward a sufficient number of senior deck officers

for interview had been due to practical difficulties of

scheduling rather than to any deliberate lack of co-operation.

He had now impressed on Mr. Y.K. Pao the need to arrange for

further interviews. Mr. Pao had suggested that the D.T.I. team,

or some of their members, might wish to consider returning to

London via Japan, where five of Worldwide's ships would be calling

between 15th and 17th December and where five or six officers of

the appropriate level could be presented for interview.

Cowley regretted that this would not be possible in view of the

team's commitments in London.

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In further discussion, Captain Anderson admitted that

the D.T.I. team had been pleasantly surprised by the high

standards of competence demonstrated by the officers whom

Worldwide Shipping had so far put forward for interview. He

recognised that many of Worldwide's officers already held D.T.I.

qualifications, and agreed that the insufficient number of

interviewees from this Company should not adversely affect the

team's report. However, although he could not say this with any

certainty, he suspected that the lacuna might create difficulties

and should, if possible, be filled. H.E. the Governor suggested

that the possibility of presenting officers for interview at

European ports, which Mr. Pao had also mentioned, should be

further pursued. In this connection, he said that Mr. Pao had

offered to meet the D.T.I. team's expenses. Dr. Cowley thought

this would be acceptable, but confirmed that the interviews would

need to take place on official premises. Arrangements would,

therefore, need to be made with the British Embassies or Consulates

in the ports concerned.

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